Karlos Gil
Toledo, Spain, 1984
L’histoire de l’Ergonomie, 2016
Elements of low density aluminum, fiberglass, plastic and metallic paint
50 x 20 x 30 cm. ea.
Acquired 2017

Karlos Gil is a keen observer of objectual forms and a researcher into production processes, which he leverages to create sculptural installations that reflect upon how objects, when deconstructed and repurposed, can become abstract forms, albeit with a strong familiarity.

L’histoire de l’Ergonomie takes its cue from a series of notes and sketches dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, which Karlos Gil came across in the Science Museum of London. The author, Jacques Dubosc, was looking into developing a machine for individual transportation and his research has been a source of inspiration for motorcycle design. Gil first produced a clay mould that enabled him to make a sculpture, which clearly evokes the shape of the seat and tank of a motorbike. From this resin sculpture, he was able to derive an almost exact replica made in aluminium. The display of this tedious artisanship process comes into stark contrast with the other element of the installation—a pair of industrially produced contemporary motorcycle windshields. A century probably separates the two designs and yet they pertain to the same thinking process: to conceive forms that can augment the capacities of the human body with technology.